Sales enablement battle cards are some of the most powerful tools in any sales rep’s arsenal.
When properly created, they provide the key information reps need to convince prospects of their products and close more deals. If there’s one thing that your sales enablement team should be focused on, it’s creating battle cards.
Let’s explore exactly what sales enablement battle cards are, what they should include, and how you can use them for maximum success.
Definition of Sales Enablement Battle Cards
Sales enablement battle cards are tools designed to help sales reps sell more effectively.
They do this by providing quick access to information about their products and the competitive landscape around these products. This makes it easy for sales reps to handle objections and sell against specific competitors.
So, how exactly do sales enablement battle cards work?
They’re straightforward reference documents, which could be stored online or even in a printed card format. They are easy to skim, single-page documents, with key information that sales reps need on calls.
Let’s say your sales team faces a common objection, or your product is constantly being compared to a specific competitor. Sales enablement battle cards provide the information reps need to swiftly handle these objections or questions.
Sales battle cards could include your product’s unique selling points (USPs) clearly listed out, or they could draw up a feature-by-feature comparison against a competitor. Whatever the case, having these cards readily available allows sales teams to confidently handle customer objections and frame their products in the best possible way.
It’s always a good idea to have battle cards at the ready for any calls with prospects, or during any product demo presentations. Battle cards are a fundamental tool for sales enablement professionals to create, and they can make the difference between a sale won or lost.
Identifying Common Objections in the Sales Process
Every sales team’s goal is to overcome customer concerns and sell more products. So they need to be fully prepared for any objections that customers might throw their way.
While every customer is unique and may have their own unique ideas, you’ll find that your target audience generally carries the same common objections. As a sales team, it’s your job to be prepared to handle these objections quickly and convincingly.
So, how do you find common objections in the sales process?
First, it’s a good idea to just cover the most common objections that all products face. These could include:
- Price objection: “Your product/service is too expensive.”
- Timing objection: “I’m not ready to make a decision yet.”
- Authority objection: “I need to consult with someone else before making a purchase.”
- Competitor objection: “I found a similar product/service for a better price elsewhere.”
- Need objection: “I don’t think I need this product/service.”
- Trust objection: “I’m not sure I can trust your company.”
- Risk objection: “I’m worried about the potential risks involved.”
- Product fit objection: “I’m not sure if this product/service will meet my needs.”
- Feature objection: “Your product lacks certain features I’m looking for.”
- Time objection: “I don’t have time to implement/use your product/service.”
These objections can apply to pretty much any product or service, and your sales enablement battle cards must address them.
Once you’ve identified and covered these objections, you’ll want to look for more objections that align more specifically with your product. You’ll find these by actively listening to your customers, and identifying who your main competitors are. Gathering feedback from customers on their experiences and doubts about your product is also helpful.
The more common objections you can gather and address, the more efficient and effective your sales process can become.
Overcoming Objections With Sales Enablement Battle Cards
Now that you’ve identified common objections, you can create battle cards that address them.
Each battle card could include a single objection and the best way to respond to it. Or, you might list out multiple objections on each battle card with quick responses to each one. Whatever the case, you want to make this information quick and easy to find.
When overcoming objections, you must use responses that work. These responses should clearly include your product or service’s USPs, and they should effectively frame your product against its competitors.
Creating sales enablement battle cards is an ongoing process, as you might find that certain objections could be handled better. Or, your product and competitive landscape might evolve, making your objection responses lose their value.
This is why it’s so important to stay up to date with your battle cards and ensure they’re always as sharpened and effective as they can be. After all, they’re one of your most powerful sales tools.
Key Features of Sales Enablement Battle Cards
Sales enablement battle cards are not all the same. You can have many different types of battle cards, with each type addressing different customer concerns.
For example, some battle cards might be focused on FAQs, some might be centered around competitor comparisons, and some might be focused specifically on your product and features. Whatever types of battle cards you create, they need to be well thought out and carefully planned for them to be effective.
Here are some key topics and bits of information that you could include in your battle cards.
Product Information
Create sales enablement battle cards that clearly outline what your product is all about.This should include a description of your product, and a list of its features, functions, and benefits.
An essential part of this is including your product’s value proposition so that your battle cards can help sales reps communicate why customers should be interested.
Objections and Responses
As mentioned above, a key reason to use battle cards is for objection handling in the sales process.
Create a set of sales enablement battle cards that list common objections and the best responses or solutions tied to them. This will make a big difference in streamlining sales calls and demos and building trust in your prospects.
Competitor Comparisons
If you find a lot of potential customers comparing your product to competitors, then you can use battle cards to differentiate your product.
Use these battle cards to highlight your main competitors, including why people might choose them and, more importantly,what their weaknesses are. Then list the benefits and features of your product to show how it compares against the competition.
These points are called key differentiators, and outlining them is vital for helping prospects overcome their doubts based on what competitors are offering.
Testimonials, Success Stories, and Use Cases
Beyond outlining what your product can do, battle cards can also be used to help sales reps talk about real-world use cases and success stories.
Consider adding a few case studies or real-life scenarios of your product usage, displaying how the product helped the customer and what they had to say about using it. If you can include stats and figures here, even better.
This gives your reps a quick and easy reference to show what customers can achieve with the product – which can be extremely convincing on sales calls.
Pricing Structure
Sales enablement battle cards are used to answer common customer questions, and one of the biggest questions any sales team will hear is about pricing.
It’s a good idea to have a battle card that outlines your product’s pricing structure and what packages you offer. You might also want to include pricing information on your competitors, to show how your product compares in its market.
FAQs
If your sales team faces common customer queries, then create battle cards that list and answer these. This way, reps can quickly respond to customer questions on demos or during sales calls.
USP and Sales Messaging
Even if you’re not using sales enablement battle cards to respond to customer questions, it’s a good idea to have a card that prominently displays your key selling points and most effective sales messages.
This will help your reps craft quick sales pitches that resonate with your target audience and address their pain points.
Best Practices for Creating Battle Cards
Sales enablement battle cards are pretty simple tools, but there’s a lot of thought that should go into them.
Here are a few tips and best practices to keep in mind when creating these battle cards.
Keep it Concise
Present information clearly and concisely, avoiding unnecessary jargon or complexity.
Sales reps should be able to quickly access and understand key points during conversations with prospects. Bullet points and short sentences are important. Avoid writing paragraphs in battle cards as they need to be quick and easy to scan.
Visual Appeal
If it makes sense, incorporate visual elements like charts, graphs, and infographics to make the battle cards easier to digest. In some cases, these can also be shared with customers.
Tailor Your Battle Cards for Different Audiences
Create separate battle cards or sections within battle cards tailored for different buyer personas, industries, or use cases.
This allows sales reps to personalize their approach based on the specific needs and preferences of each prospect.
Organize Your Battle Cards Effectively
Sales reps will often need to quickly locate battle cards during live calls. This is why it’s so important that you have a clear and sensible way of organizing these battle cards.
Whatever system you choose, make sure that all sales reps understand how it works and where the different cards are stored. This makes it easy to access the information they need, when they need it.
Regularly Update Your Battle Cards
Keep your battle cards up-to-date with the latest information, including changes in product features, pricing, competitive landscape, and market trends.
Establish a process for regularly reviewing and updating battle cards to ensure accuracy and relevance.
Training the Sales Team on Using Battle Cards Effectively
So you’ve created your sales enablement battle cards – great work!
The next step is making sure your sales team knows how to use them.
It’s essential that you provide proper training on how to find the right battle cards and when to use them in sales calls. This will help all sales reps use the same consistent information. It also means everyone will be able to handle common customer objections and questions efficiently.
Encourage adoption by demonstrating the value of battle cards in improving sales effectiveness and closing rates.
It’s also a good idea to establish a feedback loop where sales reps can provide input on how effective battle cards are and suggest improvements based on their experiences in the field. You can use this feedback to continuously refine and enhance the content of battle cards over time.
After all, your enablement team won’t know how useful battle cards are if sales reps don’t tell them.
Integrating Battle Cards into the Sales Workflow
Here are a few of the best steps to follow to incorporate battle cards into your sales workflow:
- Centralized access: Establish a centralized platform where all battle cards are stored and easily accessible to sales reps.
- Training and onboarding: Provide comprehensive training to sales teams on how to use battle cards effectively.
- Alignment with your sales process: Integrate battle cards into the existing sales process, aligning them with key stages like prospecting, qualifying, presenting, and closing.
- Link to CRM data: Where possible, link battle cards directly to relevant CRM data, such as customer profiles, opportunities, and sales activities. This allows sales reps to access battle cards within the context of their interactions with specific prospects or accounts.
- Integration with sales collateral: Integrate your battle cards with other sales collateral and resources, such as presentations, demo scripts, and case studies.
- Performance tracking: Monitor the use and impact of battle cards on sales performance metrics, such as win rates, deal size, and sales cycle length. Use these sales analytics to identify trends, patterns, and areas for improvement.
Creating Customer Profiles for Targeted Use of Battle Cards
If you have various customer profiles or target audiences, then you’ll want to create sales enablement battle cards for each audience.
For example, let’s say you sell software that can be used across various industries. Create battle cards for some of the most common industries that you serve. This way, you can quickly bring up industry-specific selling points and benefits when you’re talking to a customer.
So, make sure that your battle cards target all customer profiles, industries, and use cases related to your product.
The more targeted your battle cards are, the more relevant they become for each prospect your reps talk to. The more you refine this, the more effective these tools will become.
Conclusion
Sales enablement battle cards are simple reference tools, but when they’re properly created and utilized, they can make a major difference to your sales team’s performance. Just make sure you include the right information and properly train your reps to use them. When implemented the right way, they’ll help you create a far more streamlined and consistent sales process.
If you’re looking to improve your prospect engagement, optimizing your product demos should be a top priority. With Saleo, you can create more captivating demos that result in more closed deals and faster win rates. Book a demo to see how the platform can help your sales team.
